The Marriage
by chocolatexsmores
Summary: I would never be happy with marrying someone I hardly knew...his name: Edward Anthony Masen." Bella and Edward have an arranged marriage in 1918, AH, later chapters involve vampires. Time of Influenza. Reluctantly for Bella and Edward: a BxE story.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own Twilight, but I do own this plot line. =D At least it's something!!**

**** Takes place in the early 1900's but I probably won't go too much into it, sorry!**

_Bella POV_

The design I had traced in the wood of the table with my eyes slowly blurred to a smudge as the tears threatened to pour down my cheeks.

"Isabella, please do not be upset. Your mother and I are only doing what is best for you…"

I looked up at my father and wiped the tears from my eyes angrily.

"How could I not be upset?! I am only seventeen!"

"Yes, and so was I when your father and I were arranged to be married. It's not as bad as your making it out to be, darling. Just look at your father and I. We're happy as ever."

I rolled my eyes as they smiled lovingly at each other and made a disgusted sound as I stood up.

Yes, Renée and Charlie were happy together. They were one of those lucky few who were matched perfectly. Not me. I would never be happy with marrying someone I hardly knew. And at seventeen! My life has hardly begun! But there was no use arguing. They would win. They _always_ won.

"Can I at least know his name? Since that will probably be the only thing I find out about him before we are hitched, the whole ball and chain-"

"Nonsense. We are going over to their house tomorrow afternoon for tea, so none of your stubborn antics. You will be the proper young lady we raised you to be." Renée cut me off.

I crossed my arms, and then uncrossed them as my mother raised an eyebrow at me. I was never usually this _curt_ with my parents. But when they lay something as big as a pre-arranged marriage on me, I feel as though I have the right.

"His name is Edward Anthony Masen. His father and mother: Edward Masen, Sr. and Elizabeth Masen." Charlie looked past me out the window, his face revealing how against this ordeal he was, but only because of the natural father-protective nature. He would be no help in trying to get me out of this. Not so long as my mother is content with it.

"Masen. As in W.B. Masen, the paper company?"

"No," Renée interjected, clearly annoyed with my remark. "Masen as in _Dr. _Masen, the head physician. They live across town so it wouldn't surprise me if you have never run into their son before in the market."

I pursed my lips, trying to pick out an argument from her answer but I couldn't find one.

"Well… if Mr. Masen is a doctor, then they are probably rich. I don't want to be married to an arrogant, self-centered, snob." I held in a smirk as my mother racked her brain for a reply, but came up short.

"I'm sure they are very nice people. Now go to bed. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, Isabella." I turned at my father's word. It was practically a sin to go against your father's order.

I traipsed up the stairs after a round of 'goodnight's' into my room.

Slinking under the duvet I realized I hadn't asked the most important question. When. When was my life of freedom, my life surrounded by people I actually genuinely _knew_ going to end?

Hopefully not anytime soon.

**Review and tell me how you like the story so far!! **


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't own Twilight or, sadly, Edward Cullen (or Masen D= ). **

_Edward POV_

I had always known it would come to this.

Actually, there was no getting around it. _This_ was _bound_ to happen.

A loud _pang_ filled the empty air around me as my fist pounded against the delicate keys of the piano. Thankfully I hadn't broken anything. I had promised myself when I saw my mother's happiness at the thought of her only child being married that this arrangement wouldn't upset me.

_And it shouldn't_; the voice inside my head told me.

Love wasn't real. Just something in fairytales. Sure there were… interests, lusts. But nothing that could last without breaking.

At least for me.

So sure, I would live with a woman I did not know. Share my life with her, my house, my money.

I sighed, running my hands through my unruly hair before making my way to the dinner table where my mother was already waiting for me, deciding it was best to just forget about the situation.

"There is no use waiting for your father, Edward. He had to make a house visit to Mrs. Fields; poor gal has fallen ill with the Influenza. I have heard it's making its way North now."

I nodded, eyeing the concoction the house maid had created. It looked like green soup… with chunks of meat?

"Yes, I saw that on the newspaper front when I was making my way from the village. One hundred people have fallen sick due to the flu in Chicago, Illinois alone."

My father being a doctor worried my mother sick whenever he would go away on a house call. She almost always made him shower before coming farther into the house so no one would catch what he was around. He tried explaining to her that it was really a useless tactic since germs are more often than not carried by air, not by clothing to which my mother cleverly countered that 'more often than not' still meant a small amount _was_ carried on clothing, and could therefore get us sick.

From now on, my father always heads towards the shower after a visit with no questions asked.

I had always secretly believed my mother did not want to lose her only child, she babied me so much.

After a few minutes of my mother drinking tea, me picking apart my bread, she brought up the thing I was most opposed to discussing.

"Are you worried about tomorrow?" I peaked up at her to see her looking across at me, her green orbs, the same color as mine, sparkling with excitement.

"More anxious than worried," her eyes narrowed, something I had apparently acquired from her habits.

"Why anxious? Shouldn't you be excited to meet your fiancée for the first time?" I made a face, pushing my food away from me.

"It would have at least been nice if I could have met her a few _months_ prior to the engagement."

"But how do you know you haven't? You could have passed her by in town one day and never had known. Anyway, the wedding is in a week and you will be so busy with preparations that you won't have time to worry about anything until the second she walks through the doors in her wedding dress. By then it will be too late for second guessing things and you will lead a happy life following your honeymoon."

I had taken a drink of water, but coughed, choking on it at my mother's last statement.

"Honeymoon?!"

"Yes. Honeymoon," she gave me a strange look like I was losing my wits and began wiping up the water droplets that had sputtered across the table during my… moment.

"What good would a honeymoon do?! It's not like we would be in love!"

"Why, to consummate your marriage of course," I pinched the bridge of my nose at the thought of having this conversation with my mother of all people, but she had to be straightened out in her assumptions.

"I am _not_ consummating my marriage _the_ _second day_ _I meet her_!"

My mother looked up at me, her eyes wide with quarrel.

"Her name is Isabella, not _her _and how else do you expect to make your marriage legit? It would be like celebrating Hanukkah without a menorah!"

"Mom! Not to be impolite but I _really_ do not want to have this conversation with you!" she smiled kindly before setting back down and placing a lump of sugar into her tea.

"Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you when your wife expects… that," she waved her hand in the air as an indication of what she was implying, "on your wedding night. It's a normal practice, even for pre-arranged marriages."

I groaned, nonverbally excusing myself from the table to my room.

It was times like these I wished I had an older brother to talk about things like this with.

**Next chapter is the meeting!!**

**Thanks to those (3, lol) who reviewed!!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own Twilight, and I definitely don't own any of its characters :(**

_Bella POV_

I gazed around the Masen household from my position on the white couch. Their house was very big and illustrious, something I was not used to. And equipped with servants who were very eager to help out in any way possible, another thing I was not used to.

The cup of tea in my hand was slowly cooling down, making it taste even worse than it would hot.

Tea was never my thing. It seemed anywhere you went someone was there trying to force tea down your throat. The only way I could drink it was with at least ten lumps of sugar. My mother rarely let me drink a beverage with that much sugar due to my incapability of handling so much sugar and caffeine at the same time. Personally, I did not blame her.

Mr. and Mrs. Masen had entered the parlor moments after we arrived, stating that their son would be down shortly.

It made me slightly offended that here I was rushed to not be late for the meeting, but here _he_ was taking his time and not even being ready upon arrival time.

He had already lost some credit in my book.

What seemed like hours later, but was only a few minutes, footsteps were heard walking towards the room.

My stomach twisted into a knot at the thought of meeting the person I was supposed to be marrying in a week for the first time.

The light conversation ended as a young man walked through the room.

"Ah. This is my son, Edward. Edward, Mr. and Mrs. Swan and their daughter Isabella," his father made the introductions with a tone laced through his voice displaying his obvious disappointment for his son's unexplained tardiness.

"Good afternoon sir, ma'am, Isabella," I looked up at the sound of my name, the correction hanging on the tip of my tongue ready to be a request but the tiny word stuck in my throat, along with my breath.

I had assumed he was good-looking just from the genes he was given by his parents, but good-looking was an understatement.

The bronze hair that adorned Mrs. Masen's head was also the color of her son's, though perfectly curled on his mother, it was an unruly mess atop Edward's head like he had just rolled out of bed. It suited him well.

His jaw, squared off and well defined, had that strong shape men craved. His nose trailed down in a straight line; aristocratic. His eyes, green like his mother's were the pieces that completed the puzzle God had created to invent the most perfect man. Hinted with jade and emerald, they were radiant as his gaze fell upon me.

And his voice! It was like a velvety, running stream of honey!

My brain malfunction ended as his eyes bore into mine, my inner-self begging me to say something, anything so he wouldn't think I was a complete dolt.

"Bella," my mouth formed the word which came from my being in a weird, mystical way.

"Call me Bella."

_Edward POV_

I quickly pulled on my best white button up shirt and glided to the mirror. My hand ran through my hair, making it even more impossible to tame. I had learned long ago that my hair was completely incompetent when it came to subduing it. Along with the eccentric color, it seemed to me as though it looked like I didn't care, which to be honest, I no longer did.

I took to the stairs, two at a time. My father had warned me against being late and I had heard voices down in the parlor mere minutes ago, informing me that our _guests_ had arrived.

I sighed, trying to calm my racing heart from rushing around before passing through the lounge and into the dining room where a group of people were huddled around tea and biscuits, enjoying a lightened conversation it seemed about work and wedding details.

My eyes immediately fell upon a young lady who was not partaking in the conversations, but staring intently into her tea it seemed. I felt like groaning. Of course the one I was subjected to marrying was going to be the odd one out, the nonconformist.

My father looked up from his discussion to see me standing there. I quickly moved my gaze from the girl to him. His eyes narrowed slightly and I knew I would hear about my tardiness later.

"Ah. This is my son, Edward. Edward, Mr. and Mrs. Swan and their daughter Isabella,"

Mrs. Swan had a kind smile on her face, as did her father though it was tighter than that of his wife's, like he wasn't sure of this marriage himself.

"Good afternoon sir, ma'am, Isabella" I looked to each one as I spoke, having had a politeness altercation with my mother this very morning about looking people in the eye when I talk, which I had assured her I never had a problem with, among other things.

My gaze flickered to Isabella's face in greeting, but I found myself staring at her exquisiteness.

Her features definitely made up for any of the peculiar ways I had discerned when I first saw her.

Now that I thought about it, it really wasn't that odd to not partake in an adult conversation; especially ones of wedding plans that you hardly want any involvement in to begin with. I had severely over reacted.

She was watching me, seemingly scrutinizing me but as she caught my glance she lowered her head breaking eye contact.

I was marvelously enlightened with the sight of a light pink coating her cheeks in a warm blush, which I must say suited her very nicely.

Her eyes held upmost aptitude and innocence in their deep brown descent that I found myself slowly falling into.

My eyes trailed down her petite nose to her full lips, colored with the most tantalizing pink I had ever seen as a natural color on any woman before. Looking at her lips were doing weird things to my body, sending baffling tingles through my senses and I quickly moved on to another feature.

Her hair, brown like her eyes, cascaded down her back and over her shoulders in little curls.

I quickly looked away before I became trapped in her allure, which I repeatedly found as a difficulty.

I kept waiting for someone to jump up, yell "Just kidding!", and bring out an unpleasantly-featured woman for my wife because when I came into this ordeal, I was _not_ expecting this.

"Bella," she whispered almost unclearly, "call me Bella."

I smiled at her and she blushed again, and then looked back down.

_This may not turn out to be so horrible…._

**So I gave away a few hours of my precious sleep to write this chapter for you guys!! Plus the entire day I have been watching my Woodstock (!!!!!!!!!!!) DVD. Lol…….. I have to get up at 5 tomorrow :( But anyways, thank you all for the great reviews!! I really appreciate it and I'm glad you like the story so much!! I have had some people mail me and ask if this story would contain lemons, and I'm pretty sure it will. Usually I post my stories as 'T' but soon find myself wishing I hadn't because I stumble upon the perfect opportunity to add a lemon but I don't want to just change the rating because I don't want to make my readers feel uncomfortable. So that's why I posted this as 'M'!! Okay, I'm going to get some shut eye now!! Lol. **


	4. Chapter 4

**I don't own Twilight, but I do have complete control over this story d:**

_**One week later…**_

_Bella POV_

I stared up at the ceiling above my bed, lacking the ability to sleep. Tonight would be my last night unbound to anyone, besides my parents and I wasn't taking it easy.

A warm tear trickled out of the corner of my eye and down my cheek, where I hastily wiped it away before it could fall any further.

I looked around my darkened room, then out the window towards the upper-town community where _he_ was probably sound asleep, not a worry in the world about this wedding at all.

Edward Masen was… well, attractive to say the least, and I was well aware of my heart racing that first day I met him. No matter how much I was infatuated over him, I was unhappy to be marrying someone I didn't love, because isn't that what marriage is all about? Being legally bound to someone out of love and because you _want to_? At least that's how I had always comprehended it.

I turned over in my bed, pulling the blankets up around me tight and shut my eyes, willing for the sleep to overcome my body.

Another tear rolled down my cheek, and I concentrated on forbidding another one to fall over the outcome of tomorrow, because whether or not I liked it, tomorrow night I would be a married woman.

_XXXXX_

My body was shaking and I rolled over, trying to make it stop. It did… for a second. Then, along with the uncontrollable shaking, a blinding light was being shined in my eyes.

I winced, trying to bury myself deeper into my blankets, when suddenly they were gone. Either I was having a horrible nightmare, or I was being brutally kidnapped.

"Bella!" my eyes snapped open at the briskness in my mother's frantic voice and I looked down realizing _she_ was the one shaking me. The blinding light was actually the sun glaring through the window, straight at my face, my blankets on the ground beside my bed.

I groaned and sat up, my throat and mouth horribly dry and parched. This was the worst thing about waking; the complete dryness, and the waking up situation.

"Bella, you have to get up or you won't be ready in time!"

_Ready? Ready for wh – Oh! _

My hand slapped onto my forehead as I groaned again.

"Mom, go get me some water please. I will be up when you get back." She nodded hurriedly and trampled out of the room and down the stairs.

It had always amazed me how people could take a flight of stairs like they were running across flat land. If I even dared to try running down stairs like a mad woman, I would most likely fall and kill myself on the landing. I was not very coordinated, and I was just lucky to have not made a spectacle of myself at the Masen's last week.

I sat up, stretching as I did and gazed out the now opened window. It was definitely a nice day for a wedding. Too bad I didn't want one.

"Come on," my mother chanted as she handed me a cup of cool water.

"We have a lot to do today!"

I rolled my eyes while greedily drinking down the glass until there was nothing left.

I groaned while crawling out of bed and stumbling towards the bathroom.

She _tisked_ me while rummaging through the closet to pick out the wedding dress she lent me.

"Bella. Please be careful not to fall today. It is not going to be a good thing to have to call for the doctor on your wedding day." I ignored her comment and started to run the water to get ready for the day.

_XXXXX_

Five hours, much bustling around, and one shoe hunt later I stood before the two large wooden double doors of the church, my father's arm through my own as I tried to steady my breathing.

"Sweetheart, you must calm down. We cannot have you passing out before you reach the altar."

Charlie smiled down at me trying to brighten the mood, but it wasn't working very well.

My mother and three of her village friends had come down to dress me up in my wedding attire, and I had to admit that I did look beautiful in my mother's white dress, though a tailor was needed to shorten it. White flats adorned my feet, chosen by mother since she knew the problem I had with walking in heels.

My heart skipped a beat as the wooden doors began to slowly open and I resisted the urge to turn around and run.

"This is it, kiddo," My father's face had turned a slight red, his arm gripping harder around mine. He looked almost as nervous as I felt.

The doors had fully opened and the sound of the wedding march filled the air from a piano. I had hoped it would not be an organ playing. Pianos always seemed to calm me down with their sweet, melodic tones.

I was being lightly pulled by Charlie and I squeezed my eyes shut tight once, and then met his pace.

I glanced around the room and immediately became overwhelmed with the vast amount of people whom had attended the wedding ceremony.

I didn't look around long enough to see if I recognized any of them, for my eyes had unwittingly traveled to the altar, where standing in front of the priest was Edward, and I would have been lying if I said he wasn't too stunning for his own good.

It seemed he had gotten a lot… handsomer from the last I had seen him – if that is even possible.

The bronze hair was still the same, but seemed more illuminated by the lights that made the different shades almost impossible to decipher; there were so many altering colors.

The black tuxedo he was formally dressed in complimented his skin tone nicely, setting his pale skin with a luminous glow like God was positively beaming down at his creation.

His eyes, jade green and shining, were staring fixedly at me; his lips slightly parted as if he liked what he saw.

_He must not be looking at me, then._ I thought as I felt the heat rise to my cheeks and I looked down to save myself from further embarrassment.

What seemed like hours later, but was really only seconds, we reached the altar where he himself stood in his entire appealing splendor.

My father kissed my cheek and squeezed my hand once before leaving me to go sit by my mother.

I exhaled slowly and took Edward's outstretched hand, before inhaling sharply as a feeling similar to a pleasant shock ran up my arm. My head snapped up, and I noticed that by the look on Edward's face he had felt it too.

His hands were light in their grasp of mine, his fingers long and slender as they looped around my palm, his eyes on me.

I kept my head down for the fear of blushing if I looked up into his searching eyes, and continued staring at our connected hands.

The priest began his speech, and before long – after vows – Edward was slipping a beautiful silver ring on my finger, laid out with four small diamonds around the band. I glanced up at him, his green orbs flickered to meet mine, and I felt something stir in the pit of my stomach. I smiled bashfully as did he and slipped the ring onto his finger. It had belonged to my grandfather, and was much plainer than the one I had received.

More words were exchanged and then the priest said the words I was dreading.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

I looked up at Edward, eyes wide as his eyes met mine on his way down to me.

"Just go along with it, please." He whispered to me before his lips - soft, yet firm - touched down on mine.

My eyes fluttered shut at the sensation his mouth brought on to my body and I could hear the crowd cheering as a background noise.

He pulled away, and took my hand, leading me down the aisle as I resisted the uncontrollable urge to touch my lip, briefly wondering if I was the only one who felt anything between our touches.

How a kiss not even lasting for five seconds had left me so breathless and dazed was beyond me…

**I am truly sorry that this chapter took two days to post, but I have been really busy these past days. But don't worry. Tomorrow I will have plenty of time to post another chapter. I'm already starting it ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

**I don't own Twilight. **

_Edward POV_

The wedding ceremony had been uncomfortable to say the least. Not only had I been waiting at the altar for someone I hardly knew, but half of the guests I _didn't_ know. So many emotions had been playing through my mind, the strongest from the first time I saw her walk through the doors.

She had looked nervous, apprehensive but neither of those emotions could take away the fact that she was truly and exceptionally stunning. Her hair partly held back with clips, mostly cascaded down her back in long brown tendrils while her eyes – a gleaming brown – searched the room, eventually landing on mine.

I blinked, realizing I was staring and tried to concentrate on the situation at hand: the fact that I was about to be wed.

Throughout the entire ceremony, I had to pay attention harder than I had ever done before since my mind – and gaze – kept drifting back to Bella; and now that I thought about it, her name suited her well.

As if God wasn't smiting me enough, I had had to kiss her.

Her soft lips had stayed unmoving, which was probably for the better, and I had to pull away quickly before I made a fool of myself.

Now – at the reception – I took her small, warm hand in mine while trying not to think about the feel of her lips as I led her to the dance floor for our dance.

Her cheeks were stained a light pink as they had been the entire night and I had an uncanny urge to reach out and touch one, just to see how warm they would be.

The thought left me as Bella stumbled and I caught her, standing her upright. I smiled down at her, relishing in the fact that she was extremely uncoordinated as her mother had graciously let me in on before the reception. She smiled shyly back up at me, causing my heart to soar for an odd reason. I looked away from her, trying to figure out these complicated emotions that had been stirring through me this past week since I had first met her.

The only thing I had come up with was nerves, because there was no way that I was falling for Bella, a girl I had only met twice.

"_Edward!_" I blinked, looking down at Bella who had called my name, her voice laced with anxiety and tension.

"What is wrong?" my eyebrows knit together at the irony of that question. I was pretty sure this whole arrangement was wrong for a wedding.

"I… I cannot dance," she bit her bottom lip nervously and I couldn't stop my grin.

"Well then, I guess it is a good thing _I_ can," I boasted mockingly, earning me a small smile in return.

I released her hand, wrapping my arms around her waist and lifted her up a few inches off the ground.

"Wha-" she started, but stopped when I placed her back down, her feet now standing on mine.

She quirked an eyebrow, looking up at me and flushing red.

"You don't have to do that…" I ignored her comment; moving her hand up to my shoulder, mine resting on her slender waist, also ignoring the sensations that traveled up my hands as I did.

The music had started, but luckily no one had yet noticed that we hadn't started dancing since they were all busy trying to get a good spot to watch, and be one of the first onto the dance floor.

I spun us around, watching with delight as her hair whipped around with us, spiraling down her shoulder.

After a few seconds, others started joining us on the floor until it was filled.

Being out of the center of attention seemed to relax Bella a bit as her posture became less rigid, easier to move.

She smiled, and laughter to the tune of a chime escaped from her mouth, lost in the noise of the crowd. I smiled, happy at the thought that I was the only one that could her laughter just then. The unexpected happiness threw me off guard, and my smile faltered. There was no sense in taking joy in the mere fact that no one else could hear her laugh, and the fact that I _had_ found it joyous was bewildering.

I dropped the idea, realizing that this moment was not the best for pondering my inane feelings.

Slowly, the music faded away and I looked down, only to be entranced by Bella's wide brown orbs gazing up at me.

We stayed like that for who-knows-how long, staring at each other in our own separate worlds of wonder and uncertainty until the small, but always intrusive noise of someone clearing their throat pulled us out of the trance.

It was a man who looked close to our age, holding out his hand towards Bella in a bow.

_Well, at least he has the decency to bow_.

"May I have this dance?"

His words were so innocent, yet so revolting to my ears as I glared down at him, though it went unnoticed.

"Oh," Bella looked up at me uncertainly, and then stepped off my feet hesitantly while blushing and I grudgingly let her go.

"Um… thanks. For the dance…" she turned away, her face still red and took the guest's hand, walking away with him.

Devastatingly, I wondered whether that would be the only dance I was to have with her, my wife, tonight.

**Happy New Years to all of you who are celebrating and are on fanfiction because there is nothing else to do (moi)!!!!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Even though it is a new year, I am sad to say I still don't own Twilight…. :(**

_Bella POV_

After the reception we had thankfully departed from our guests and traveled to the new house we were to spend the rest of our lives in.

The trip, though quick, was silent and I took my time gazing out the open window of the carriage. Once in a while I had thought I sensed Edward looking at me but whenever I would casually look back to the front of the carriage, sneaking a peek at him out of the corner of my eye he was silent as ever, gazing out his own window or fingering the buttons on his tuxedo.

Though he was quiet and we had yet to hold any actual conversation, he was still a gentleman. He held the carriage door open for me as I stepped out, held my hand to help me out, and even held my veil even though I had told him it was highly unnecessary.

I followed him up the narrow pathway to the house, watching the ground where I stepped. I often found this to be of utmost importance when I walked, rather than looking at the scenery.

I did, however happen to look up in a fleeting attempt to see the house and what I saw made my mouth drop.

It was small in size, but large in appearance. Laid out with two floors, the outside was painted a modern off-white color with gray shutters lining the windows. A large tree, possibly an oak, was grown in the front yard by one of the three windows causing the whole yard to be placed under an ever present shade that I could imagine would be delightful in the summers. I envisioned myself sitting under the tree and reading a book while a child danced around the yard.

I blushed as the vision of a little girl or boy with striking bronze hair formed in my mind and my eyes automatically flickered up to Edward, hoping he hadn't noticed.

He hadn't, and apparently he hadn't realized I stopped walking because he was at the front door already.

He turned then, as if sensing me watching him from half way down the path, his eyes quizzical.

"Would you like to come inside?" he questioned, his eyebrows furrowing as I blushed again.

_XXXXX_

The house was considerably larger than it looked from the outside, consisting of two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a parlor, and a full kitchen.

I had blushed when he opened the door to one room, calling it the 'master bedroom'. He must have either noticed my blush or seen me look down because he added quite quickly that there was another bedroom that he would have one of the maids set up.

He had insisted that I take the master bedroom, but I won the argument by stating that the bed in the other room wasn't long enough for his tall frame. He had smirked, turning away from me before he got to see the reddening of my face from my statement.

I shook my head silently, thinking back on that and realizing the hundreds of facts I could have come up with other than _that_. I shut the book I had been currently scanning and placed it back on the shelf. Yawning, I stood up and walked into the kitchen where Edward was tooling with the sink.

"Edward," I said quietly, not wanting to disturb him.

He looked at me, turning off the running water.

"I am going to get some sleep…" I trailed off as his face twisted into a bizarre grimace.

"Is something… wrong?" I stepped further into the room, looking around at the cabinets. I had taken most of the time we had arrived here to refilling them, and the refrigerator with all of the food Mrs. Masen had brought up to the house.

"No… well, the bed in the room you insist on has no sheets at the moment. You can stay in the master bedroom until the maid arrives tomorrow, if you would like." I bit my lip at the idea of sharing a bed with Edward.

"I will sleep on the couch… if it will be more comfortable for you…" he added hastily, sensing my hesitation as a means of disagreement.

"No! No, I will not have you sleep on the couch. It will be fine. The bed seems sizable enough to fit us both comfortably. Thank you… for the offer," he smiled kindly at me, his eyebrows evening out.

"Don't worry yourself with it. Just go get some sleep. I will be up as soon as I finish adjusting the sink." He turned back to the water, turning it on again and I took that as my cue to leave.

I slowly made my way up the stairs and into my room to dress in my night gown.

I growing concern developed over my being as I realized I would be sharing a bed with Edward. I dressed in my night clothes, under the same covers as my husband whom I had never before shared anything with.

I halted in my steps as another thought crossed my mind. _We had to consummate our marriage. _

I stood there, halfway to his quarters, practically hyperventilating in my wake. It seemed that through the whole hustle and bustle of the wedding I had forgotten this minute, yet significant part to a marriage.

_Edward hasn't mentioned it either_, I realized with a certain optimistic outlook. Perhaps he had looked past the ordeal as well. Possibly we could wait for that certain… plan to take place on another night. One where we had not met each other for the second time. Though our marriage would not technically be completed, it still would be in the books; and it wasn't like people needed to know – or would know - whether or not we had perpetrated the action.

My frantic heartbeats began to slow down in pace as I found the will to move my legs again. I had successfully talked myself into believing it would be alright.

I then found another complication as I opened the door: which side I was meant to sleep on.

Yawning, I went around to the side without the table, guessing that it was probably the side he had planned to sleep on and pulled back the golden duvet.

The bed was comfortable and warm and all-around lovely in scent and texture. Much more restful than mine of ten years had been.

I stretched my feet and toes down, trying to see if I could reach the bottom. I couldn't.

I squished myself to the far edge, leaving as much space as possible for Edward seeing as it was, in reality, his bed and shut my eyes.

For some reason, the desire coursed through my body to stay awake just long enough to see what Edward would where to bed.

**I'm sorry this took so long to post but I had to do some heavy reading for school the last two days :( Procrastination is **_**not**_** my friend. **


	7. Chapter 7

**I don't own Twilight, and vacation is officially over :(**

**Short A/N: I realized that in my last chapter I spelt 'wear' as 'where' and I am truly sorry. In my defense it was, like, three o'clock in the morning. d: **

_Bella POV_

The second I woke up that morning I knew something was wrong.

I stayed still; eyes closed trying to comprehend what my brain was trying to connect together.

My head was rested against something. Not a pillow. _Definitely _not a pillow. It was hard, yet oddly comfortable.

And it was moving.

I pried my eyes open, slightly frightened by what I may be met with.

My eyes darted along the white piece of clothing my head was laying upon.

_A shirt. Edward's shirt. Edward's chest!_

I tried to sit up, startled by my new revelation but was even more surprised when an arm tightened around my waist, holding me there.

I panicked, trying to cease my erratic breathing, hoping not to wake him.

Hesitantly I stretched my neck up so I could see how asleep Edward was. See if there was a way of getting out of this predicament without waking him and having to coin a hasty explanation.

The sight that met me virtually knocked the breath out of me.

He was asleep, yes but it looked like such a peaceful slumber.

His bronze hair, a usual mess was now in complete disarray. Random pieces of hair – highlighted by the sun streaming through the window – stuck out, seemingly static against the pillow. My fingers itched to run through it and feel the softness it appeared to hold.

His eyes were closed, the long black lashes lightly brushing the skin beneath his lids.

My hands stretched out, my fingers lightly brushing against his arm sending a chill through my body.

I began to wonder why I had been in such a rush to release myself from this paradise.

I laid my head back down, relishing in the feel of his arms around me. It was slightly awkward in the fact that I barely knew this man whom I was laying with and was married to, but I had slowly gotten used to the idea.

I realized it was in my best interest to get up before Edward woke up, and so reluctantly I began to untangle myself from Edward's grip and start my day.

XXXXX

The maid had come around half past eight, bringing with her sheets for my bed. I was a bit disappointed knowing that I would never again have the possibility of waking up in Edward's arms.

_Speaking of Edward_. I though as he walked down the stairs at that exact moment, sharing curt nod with Miss Emma, the servant.

He was elegantly laid out in one of his many suits; his bronze hair still a mess. His eyes met mine and I blushed, looking back down at the cup of tea in front of me as thoughts of this morning came rushing back into mind.

He didn't notice – or if he did he did a good job of hiding it – as he sat down across from me, taking his cup that Miss Emma had poured for him.

One thing I would never get used to is waking up and having almost all of the chores finished. My family was not very wealthy and so we never had a servant or butler, not that we needed one.

I had always been opposed to the thought of having a maid around, but I would never tell Edward that.

"I am going into town today to buy a new handle for the sink. Would you like to accompany me? The stand is beside a bookstore. You might like to purchase a new book?" I smiled, relieved in the fact that he would try to make this marriage work.

"Yes, that would be nice." He smiled back at me, relaxing more in his chair.

My heart fluttered at the thought of spending the day with Edward, though we would ultimately be going to different stores.

I looked away before he could see the excitement in my eyes as a smile threatened to spill over my face again.

XXXXX

_Edward POV_

Bella walked along side me as we maneuvered through the unusually busy streets of the town. Many people seemed to be out and about, getting their last minute grocery shopping done before work the next day.

A man was walking by us, his hands full with a variety of fruits and vegetables. I briefly wondered why he hadn't requested some sort of bag to carry it all when Bella almost walked right into him.

I pulled on her arm quickly, just before a semi-fatal – for her, at least – run-in with the man.

"Sorry, Miss," the man muttered while walking.

A twinge of anger boiled inside of me and the idea that he hadn't the decency to stop walking and formally apologize for almost running into a lady, _my wife_ no other.

"Are you alright?" I looked down at her, holding back a smile as her cheeks flushed a light pink, setting of the comparison against her pale skin nicely.

"Yes, it was my fault. I am not exactly the most coordinated person," I laughed out loud at her statement, candor filling the fact.

"I have noticed, believe it or not." She blushed again, and looked away.

The feelings she emitted within me were mystifying. I had never taken so much pleasure in seeing someone blush before. Bella didn't look pitiful when she blushed like others normally would. It was genial… adorable, even.

Reluctantly, I let go of her arm and we continued on our way to the corner where the bookstore and utility stand were.

I would always find myself unconsciously watching her out of the corner of my eye, or gravitating closer to her as we walked. It was as if she was a drug and my body couldn't get enough.

The stand came into view, along with the bookstore and I could physically see the excitement in Bella's eyes and stride as she picked up her walking pace.

I chuckled and she looked back at me, now having been a few steps ahead of me.

"Here," I put out my hand which held six coins for her. More than enough for two books.

Her nose scrunched up as she looked at the gold coins in my outstretched hand.

"Oh," my voice fell. "I have more money if you would like it. I can buy a handle some other time…"

She blinked, seemingly coming out of whatever preoccupation she had been in.

"No! It is plenty enough, but I don't want to spend your money…" she trailed off as I counted on the blush seconds before it graced her skin.

"Isabella." I shook my head at her constant worrying.

"My money is your money, too. We are married, so technically it is both our money."

"Well, we aren't _officially_ married…" she trailed off, blushing furiously. It was the brightest I had ever seen her blush before. I was sure I had a hint of a blush on my face too.

I would have been amused in the way she avoided my gaze and hastily took the money, then scurried to the bookstore with an innocent apology had I not been equally as uncomfortable with her statement as she was.

No, we had not _fornicated_ yet, and I was sure our marriage was going to be tense until we had consummated. It was not a conversation I was willing to strike up, nor was she. It wasn't something you could just plan – well, you _could_ but I would rather it be something special. Not just something done because we feel that we have to.

I washed the impure thoughts from my mind as I realized I had been lingering by the stand for who-knows-how-long.

A lady walked by me then, a basket full of roses in her hand.

"Would you like to purchase a rose for your love interest? I saw you with that young gal out there. Pretty little lady, isn't she? I bet she would just love to receive this beautiful red rose."

Fingering the few coins left in my pocket, I realized that purchasing a rose would mean not having enough money for the handle. But even with that information, I still felt the desire to buy one for Bella to see what she would do. I knew she liked plants from the moment I saw her gazing at the small garden in front of the house.

A spark of excitement ran through my body as I handed over a coin, receiving the reddest rose I had ever seen that, though beautiful, fell dull in the comparison of Bella.

I looked at the petals, realizing with a growing gratification that I was slowly becoming smitten with Isabella Masen.

**I'm sorry this has taken so long to post but my internet was down. Stupid laptops… DX**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi guys. I'm sorry it took me so long to update, but I have had a lot of essays and little spare time this week, so now that it is the long weekend… UPDATES!!!!!**

_Bella POV_

It had always seemed to me that no matter how many books a shelf held, it was never enough. I would always find myself scanning through the titles, realizing I had already read each and every one of them. Re-reading a book was nice; but once in a while a new read is highly needed.

With that thought hanging over my head I picked a book from the shelf – one I was sure I had never read, nor heard of before.

It was a romance which I could tell from the cover art. Romance novels had never been my falling. They always struck me as spurious and unathentic. Sterereotypical, even what with the woman always being the damsel in distress and the man the brave hero whom would save her from predicaments, even certain death. It was the ideal relationship they usually portrayed, the one everyone wanted; girls and guys alike. But they were never real. That kind of true love just never happened in life. Could it even be possible for a human to capacitate such love? I sure never believed it.

I stared at the small, blue novel in my hand well aware that I was not planning on purchasing it, but was admittedly curious as to the plot line.

I had hardly gotten to the third line when I felt a presence standing by me.

I apologized quietly, moving out of the way of the shelf without looking up.

"You are not impedeing the way, I assure you."

I looked up quickly to see Edward, a crooked smile that made my knees go weak plastered on his remarkabley gorgeous face.

"Oh," I cleared my throat after my brilliant answer and pushed the book back onto the shelf.

"Are you finished? You got the handle?" I looked down at his hands to spot the handle for the sink, but both his hands were out of sight, clasped behind his back.

He cast a strange face and shook his head, his eyes seemingly scrutinizing me.

"Oh… well, did you not have enough money? I still have the coins you gave me…" I trailed off as my hand went for my pocket to get the few coins.

Edward, stopped me quickly, placing his hand on my arm before I took out the coins.

My hand froze as my eyes trailed slowly up to his; my arm now tingling.

"No, I had enough but I spent it on something else," his green orbs probed into mine as one of his hands moved out from behind his back, in it clasped the most beautiful red rose I had ever seen.

"Here," he held it out towards me while speaking softly, "this is for you."

My mouth fell open as my brain registered what he had just said. Apparantley, I had waited to long before reaching for the flower because Edward cleared his throat uneasily.

"You don't have to… take it if you don't want to…" He trailed off hesitantly, his hand falling slowly. I felt heartbroken at the tone of his voice. He thought I didn't want to the rose?

"No!" I stopped him quickly, taking the rose in my fingers.

"No, I love it. It is beautiful," I brought it to my nose, inhaling the fresh scent of rose. My eyes fluttered shut, my nostrils filling with the wonderful scent.

They fluttered open, Edward was looking at the ground. I smiled thoughtfully and reached up on my tiptoes, my heart fluttering as my lips touched the soft skin of Edward's cheek.

"Thank you," I whispered kindly. His emarld eyes brightened immensely as he looked down at me, a large grin depicted across his face revealing a set of perfect white teeth.

I looked away as a feeling of butterflies errupted in my stomach.

Unwittingly, my eyes traveled back to the book I had placed back on the shelf.

Maybe romance novels _weren't_ stereotypical. Maybe they were to show the hard of understanding that love _is_ out there and that you just had to find it.

Maybe it was trying to show me something I had right in front of me all along….

**I'm sorry this chapter isn't very long but… oh, well. I'm tired and I want to go to bed, lol. **


	9. Chapter 9

**I don't know when I will get this chapter posted because my internet is down (again :/ ) and I don't know if I will be able to get to the library in time before it closes any time this week. F my life. **

**And I still don't own Twilight :[**

_Bella POV_

The walk back to the house was rather quiet besides the soft sound of footsteps on gravel. The rose had been perched in my hand for the past hour after Edward had given it to me and my nose fulfilled with the fresh floral scent and Edward's naturally nice smell, honey-like.

I couldn't keep the smile off of my face as we passed people in the streets who would automatically smile back at me.

I was just too happy.

A chuckle caused me to turn and look at Edward who was smiling as well, but in a more humored way.

"What?" I giggled exuberantly as he looked down at me.

He shrugged, looking up at the sky and sighing deeply.

"You seem to be in a very good mood today, is all."

His eyes seemed to sparkle with life in the dim light radiating from the falling sun, his hair blowing lightly in the gentle breeze.

"Well, that's because I am."

"But you have not obtained a new book like you planned," his voice softened as he spoke, his eyes scanning over my face.

"Yes… but I _did_ receive a rose from a rather chivalrous gentleman."

"Oh? And who would this _chivalrous gentleman_ be of whom you speak?" Edward's voice turned mocking and my smile widened – if possible.

I could practically feel the heat radiating off of my cheeks from the constant strain.

I shrugged nonchalantly, sticking my nose in the air.

"I never caught his name."

"Oh, is that so?" he sidestepped in front of me, and I stopped quickly before I collided into his chest. _Then again…_

I shook the thought from my mind before I unconsciously acted upon it and looked up at Edward, confused at his actions.

"Hello," he stuck his hand out in a witty manner, and I shook it gently, "my name is Edward."

The resplendent crooked smile was plastered on his face again, sending a wave of butterflies soaring through my stomach.

I barely kept hidden the spark that ignited down my arm from grasping his hand as the slow smile made its way across my face.

He let go of my hand, turning his head up to the sky where clouds had moved in over the slight sun.

His gazed flickered back to me, his green eyes shining brightly in the feeble light that the sun was casting off. He was biting his bottom lip as he looked at me and I shivered involuntarily as desire coursed through me.

Edward noticed the tremor and he cleared his throat, his eyes changing from a radiant emerald, to a still glowing, but duller green.

"Are you cold?" he moved to shrug out of the black coat he was wearing and wrapped it around my shoulders before I could even answer.

I mustered up enough strength to swallow back the sensations that were deriving down my body and I pulled the coat around me tighter, though I was hardly cold.

"Come. Let's get back to the house before it gets too dark to see the pathway."

He held out his hand to me and I gladly took it, his fingers interlacing with my own.

I turned my head in a way that I hoped was inconspicuous, my nose inhaling the sweet scent of Edward from the coat. He smelt of honey and lilac, a strange mixture but oddly alluring.

I looked at him from the corner of my eye making sure that he hadn't seen me. He hadn't as he was looking out at the forest we were momentarily walking by.

As I looked at him, his figure illuminated by the now-glow of the setting sun, I realized just had absolutely perfect he was… and how exceptionally normal _I_ was in comparison.

I cast my gaze down at the ground, my eyes slowly welling up with tears that I held back.

I would never deserve someone as… flawless as Edward; a man of every girls' dream.

I had never felt this way about any man, and I had never expected to.

_Let alone my own husband._

**Wow. Lack of updates much?! Yeah… I'm sorry about that. I give you official permission to pelt me with rocks and other hard miscellaneous objects… but I would really appreciate it if you would take your anger out on mid-terms!!!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys. It seems that until vacation I will only be able to update once a week :( But that's only for another week, so yeah. Lol. **

_Bella POV_

We had arrived at the house just before dusk, the perfect time as it gave us enough leeway to see the streets. Edward held the door open for me, always the gentleman, and I stepped inside to the revitalizing warm air seeping out from the fireplace.

I had always loved fireplaces since I was a child when I unwittingly thrown a book into an open one. As one would imagine, my mother was quite angry with me and I was never again to go near the fireplace. I would spend most of my afternoons perching on the edge of the couch, watching the fire dance out of sight into the chimney, watching the small embers flutter out.

This fire was doing much of the same, but more tame.

The small smile that was on my face fell as I realized what the fire meant.

"Edward," I uttered, my eyes not moving from the eccentric fire.

"Mhmm?" he mused quietly having hung up the coat from my arms.

"We left a fire going in the house."

"Hmm," he muttered, walking over to the hearth.

"Well, there is not much we can do about it now. It's a very good thing nothing caught on fire."

He shrugged it off and wandered into the kitchen, leaving me standing there speechless. Had I been alone, I would have been rightfully going ballistic with worry at what could have happened. Edward was much calmer about it, seemingly not caring. I admired his act of control and let the possible outcomes slip my mind.

I walked into the kitchen and leaned against the counter, watching Edward. His hands were agile as they made quick work of the stove, heating up water then taking down two porcelain cups for tea.

I sipped quietly after thanking him, dwindling into a state of pure bliss as the warm liquid heated my already burning insides. He raided the cabinets for something to eat – something men always seemed to do – but settled on just drinking the tea.

I watched him; his long pale fingers playing with the handle, his eyes alight with some kind of fascination. His whole being captivated me and sent me spiraling down some passageway that I didn't know the landing to.

My mind raced along with my heart as new feelings and emotions coursed through me. Each of which I had never felt before. Each of which that were frightening at the same time as tempting.

Half of my body wanted me to act on these new whimsical sensations. But the other half – the sensible half – refused to act for fear of just what those sensations would lead to.

My cup was now empty, and I stared at the light green bottom, my mind sorting through many different thoughts, ideas, and options until Edward brought me out of the stupor.

"Bella," his voice was tentative, like he wasn't sure how to say it.

"I am afraid that we forgot to buy blankets for your bed today."

I looked up at him, not sure as what to say.

His eyes were narrowed, like he was studying my reaction. It would be an upset to him, because he wasn't going to get one.

"You could stay with me again for the night. Then tomorrow we will go out and get you the covers for the bed."

I nodded, not trusting my voice. My heart was flying a mile a minute as I thought about sharing another night with Edward. That irrational side of me was elated by the news, and I briefly wondered what my heart thought I was going to get out of this. The sensible side quickly overturned, reminding me that he was only doing this out of sheer courtesy.

The second the thought was in my head, I felt my heart drop a beat. My heart and mind were never aligned, and I always found it difficult to choose one to listen to. People always say _listen to your heart_, but it's easier said than done.

His answering smile was gratifying as it showed off his perfect teeth and I found myself smiling slightly in response, accompanied by the ever present blush.

XXXXX

I stumbled out of the bathroom after a not-very-soothing shower. It seemed that every time my muscles and limbs would relax, another thought would pop into my mind, reminding me exactly where I would be spending the night and the muscles would become taut and on edge again.

I sauntered into the bedroom, my face flustered as I caught a glimpse of Edward, already stretched out on the bed with his hand twined behind his head. His eyes were closed, sparing me from the dazzling emerald gaze and I staggered slowly over to the bedside, not wanting to bother him.

_Oh, mercy. _

I shuddered quite violently as I gazed down at his – shirtless – body. His chest was perfectly sculpted. His abs running in smooth, flawless lines. My hands itched to tough him as my eyes raked his body, my bottom lip in between my top and bottom teeth.

His eyes snapped open, and I looked up just in time so he wouldn't assume I was ogling him. _Which I was._ He seemed to be raking over my body as well, and his eyes darkened slightly until he let out a shaky breath.

I stood there for a couple of seconds, not quite sure of what to do until Edward chuckled a husky sound that I would be damned if I said was not a turn on.

"Are you planning on joining me anytime soon, or were you going to sleep standing up?"

I smiled celestially and pushed back the duvet, climbing into the bed.

The bed I had slept on at my house felt like a rock compared to this one, and I could only hope mine was of the same material.

I stretched my legs out, not being able to touch the edge of the bed, and curled my toes. It always felt good to stretch out my muscles while in bed.

A few seconds later, the only light in the room was the one casting into the window from the moon. The only sound was that of soft breathing.

"You can move closer. I promise I won't bite." Edward's coy whisper broke through the stillness.

I could practically feel the grin that was most likely painted on his face, along with the witty glint in his eye.

I smiled in the dark, glad that the visibility factor ruled out the need to be embarrassed over a blush.

I turned my head to look at him, and could see through the dim light that his face was turned towards me.

I did as he asked – though I was more than certain I would be close enough to him when I woke – and moved over, now lying in the near center of the rather large bed.

A flurry of tingles spread through my body at the awareness of how close I was to Edward. I could practically feel the heat radiating off of his body. I looked over at him and could see the sharp angle of his nose out of his illuminated figure, the small raising of his utterly perfect lips.

I bit down on my own as I tried to force my eyes to make out more details in the dark.

I sighed, trying to hide it as a soporific sound and shut my eyes.

No matter how much I hoped, I knew sleep would not come tonight.

**I hope you all like that chapter! Now I get to do history homework. Woo hoo!! :|**


	11. Chapter 11

**I don't own Twilight!**

_Bella POV_

Three things took me by surprise that morning.

First, it occurred to me as I opened my eyes to a dim light shining into the room that I had actually fallen asleep, no matter how much I thought it was impossible.

Second, I realized with a knowing satisfaction that I had, in fact moved closer to Edward during the night. So close that my legs had the ability to wrap around Edward's, which they were close enough to doing. My fingers stretched out then curled back in, touching something smooth underneath my hand the entire time. I realized as I opened my right eye an inch that it was Edward's arm, smooth, cool, and pale wrapped around my waist.

Which led me to surprise number three.

_He was awake_.

My head snapped back down quickly after my eyes met his before he even had a chance to see me blush.

I moved to pull away from him, but his arm tightened around me, like he usually did. But this time was much different and more astonishing from the mere fact that he was not doing this unconsciously.

"You don't have to get up; it is raining quite hard outside." His voice was laced with vigor, like he had been awake for a while. I briefly wondered what time of day it was while my eyes trailed up the wall to the window where it was indeed down pouring.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Edward smirking and I looked up at him, which was a mistake to begin with.

His green eyes were smoldering as he watched me, his bronze hair even more disheveled than usual and falling into his face. He was still shirtless, half of his chest exposed from beneath the blanket.

My arm, I realized with a sense of rapture was calmly resting on his torso. Goosebumps rose as I became hyper-aware of the smoothness of his skin.

I stretched my legs out, yawning. I figured I had better make the best of the situation since it was most likely one of the only times I would find myself in Edward's willing embrace.

My arms stretched over my head, my fingers extending until I felt something soft brush against them. They curled around the soft mess, eliciting a chuckle from Edward. The sound was both deep, and to be honest, downright sexy.

I smiled, humiliated and ducked my head down muttering an apology.

No matter what situation I was in, I also found a way to ruin it, embarrassing myself in the process.

He sighed, seemingly exasperated and looked down at me.

"Why do you feel the need to apologize for everything you do?" his voice was reprimanding, but his eyes were teasing. I smiled and impulsively began to apologize again but stopped myself, slapping my hand over my mouth.

He smiled that crooked grin as I pulled my hand away, automatically chewing on my bottom lip as I watched his.

"Bella…" his thumb came up to my bottom lip effectively pulling it away from the obtrusive teeth. My mouth fell limp as his eyes became momentarily unfocused, his thumb slowly descending across my lip down to my chin.

He bit his own lip before coming out of his trance and cleared his throat uneasily. I could still feel the sensation of his smooth skin on my lip even after his thumb had fallen way, my head in a cloudy haze.

"You shouldn't bite your lip so often. Eventually you will bite right through…" he trailed off, his eyes glancing towards the window in an inept state.

I smiled, ignoring the desire to touch my lip where his thumb had been and rolled over away from him.

I figured it would be the best decision for both of us in this unlikely situation.

_XXXXX_

The rain showed promise as it continued to lighten throughout the day until it came to a stop midevening.

I had been reading a book, mildly interested in the plot when I happened to look out the window.

I smiled at the sight outside. The clouds were finally moving away, sun shining through. The only thing that could have made that moment any better, I had thought to myself, would be if a rainbow had appeared. _Or Edward._

I smirked now at the memory of the intrusive thought.

I had been thinking a lot about Edward these past few days. Especially today after our encounter this morning. He was so hard to read. One minute he was nice, and I would actually start to believe he was beginning to like me, but then the next he was a cold stone again bent on making my life a mystifying abode.

I was certain my feelings for him were conclusive, and no matter how I tried to tell myself otherwise, the truth always stuck in the back of my head.

A quick rasp at the door disturbed me from my thoughts and I looked out towards the kitchen where Edward supposedly was, then got up to open the door.

It was a young man, younger than I but not by much. He was looking down at the ground waiting for the door to open. When it did, his head snapped up and his eyes trailed down my body.

I would have blushed if it had not been for the growing sensation of irritation at the way he was looking at me.

"Hello," his voice was deep and suggestive; something I'm sure he thought was a turn on but was quite the opposite.

His eyes, raking back up my body widened – almost as if by fear – and he quickly shoved his hand into the small sack he was carrying across his shoulder.

I was confused at his sudden change of emotion. Surely I wasn't that menacing. I turned around instinctively and saw Edward standing there, his arm propped up against the wall as he seemingly glared daggers at the boy.

My heart skipped a beat as I realized Edward's eyes were an enticing shade of dark green – the darkest I had yet seen. They were almost black. His jaw was hard and tense and I fought the urge to run a finger along the smooth line of the bone.

My brow knitted together with confusion of Edward's reaction until I realized with a start that he was, for some reason upset with this boy looking at me.

_Was Edward jealous?!_

My head spun as the thought and evidence raced through my mind. I couldn't understand why he would be jealous of some… kid looking at _me_. Surely my assumption was wrong.

I blew it off as a mistaken conjecture and watched as the mail-man handed a letter over the threshold to Edward.

No one said anything, and Edward stood there, glaring at the mail-man while he glared right back.

I would have found it entertaining had I not been so terrified of a possible fist fight ensuing, so I turned and pushed on Edward's chest to get him to turn away.

As soon as my palms touched his chest an electric shock coursed through my hands and I pulled them back quickly, sucking in a swift breath.

Edward's mouth hung slightly open, his eyes wide revealing that he had felt the jolt as well. His emerald gaze held my brown one, and his hand moved slowly up to cup my cheek.

I wasn't sure whether it was intentional or subconscious but at the moment I didn't care.

His thumb rubbed slowly across my cheek and his gaze flickered down to my lips, licking his own temptingly.

A small sound of a throat clearing seemed to bring us both back to the present and I tried to ignore it.

It seemed as too much of a distraction for Edward though as he looked towards the door, then back at my lips. He sighed heavily and let his hand drop from its original caress. My eyes fell shut against frustrated tears as the mail-man informed Edward of the coins we owed him.

The door shut and Edward turned back. I opened my eyes, glad that I had successfully kept the tears back – for now. He looked at me quickly and I noticed a change in his eyes. Where they were glowing a resplendent emerald a few seconds ago, they were now a dull green. My stomach dropped as I realized what it meant.

We had just lost our chance.

**This chapter was a bit longer for you guys because I had a snow day today (whoo!) even though there is barely even an inch on the ground out here d: Oh well, their mistake is mine (and your) gain!!! **

**And don't worry all of you people striving on the inch of hope that Edward and Bella will get their lost chance back… they most certainly will or else there would be no point in me writing this story!! **


	12. Chapter 12

**I don't own Twilight!**

_Bella POV_

I watched Edward as he read the letter, his eyebrows knitting together. Curiosity burned on my tongue, but I held it back knowing that it would be rude to ask.

He looked up at me having finished reading and handed the letter over to me. I took it tentatively and started to read. It was from Edward's mother.

According to the epistle, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Masen, Sr. were hosting an annual formal ball on the fifth of November at half past seven: and we were invited.

I looked up at Edward. He seemed tense as he leaned against the frame of the kitchen door. His arms were crossed, his head down.

_The fifth of November. _

"Edward, _today _is the fifth of November."

He looked out the window as if the outside atmosphere could disprove what I had said.

He sighed and swung his head back to me.

"Yes, and it is already two." I looked over at the small clock on the mantle and nodded.

"Are we going?" I asked quietly. We couldn't just not go. Especially to his _parent's_ party.

"Do you have a dress?" There was a small smirk forming on his face at his reciprocate. But I began to question whether or not I _did_ have a dress. Of course I owned regular dresses, the one's worn on a day-to-day basis but I was almost certain I did not have a formal gown.

As I was about to answer an uncertain denial, another knock on the door saved me from having to answer.

My eyes widened as I opened the door to see my mother standing there, holding a large garment that I could only guess held a dress.

"Mom… hi." Renée smiled at me and stepped over the threshold, not even waiting for an invite and set the bag on the table.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Swan." My mom smiled and looked towards Edward, speaking in his gentleman tone.

"Edward! How nice to see you! And please, call me Renée. You are my son-in-law. No need for formal titles." I rolled my eyes.

Ever since my mother first met Edward she had absolutely fallen in love with him. In the maternal aspect, of course. She thought he was the perfect gentleman: intelligent, charming, assiduous, and handsome. Of which I wholly agreed with her, but would never admit. My mother had a rather large ego when it came to being right.

"Now Isabella, I know how adamant you are to being 'gussied up', but I am sure you will agree that Mr. and Mrs. Masen's ball is an instance where it is in dire need."

"Nonsense. Bella is perfect the way she is." Renée smiled admiringly at Edward's comment while I made a face at his mocking statement.

"Listen to that, Bella. Perfect gentleman. How did you ever get so lucky? Now excuse us, Edward. We have a ball to get ready for." She patted his cheek while dragging me out of the room.

I snuck a look back at him to see a flawless grin on his face as he turned away.

I followed my mother as she tried to locate the bathroom, until she eventually found it.

I realized, with a growing exasperation that it was going to be a long night.

XXXXX

I gaped at myself in the mirror. Renée had kept the makeup to a bare minimum, maintaining colors akin to my skin tone. My lips were light pink, blending in to the natural color of my lips. My hair, naturally wavy, was twisted into small curls that cascaded down my back. I wasn't quite sure how she had done it, but I wasn't about to question it.

Lastly, I was in a silky dark blue dress. It was slightly form fitting and fell down a few inches past my knees. The straps were thin and hung loosely over my shoulders.

To my horror, my mother had forced me into a pair of high heels matching the dress. They were very tall what with my mother knowing the problem I had of walking on a flat surface, but tall enough to be a hazard to myself and anyone near me.

I had to admit to myself that I did look remarkably pretty – much different from my normal look.

Renée had done a nice job, and she knew it.

She kissed my cheek and left the bathroom, calling that she would see me there.

I heard her talking with Edward and I could only imagine the terribly embarrassing fine points of the evening she was letting him in on.

Eventually, the front door shut and I heard the sound of Edward's dress shoes as he paced around the living room.

I took a deep breath, looked at myself in the mirror one last time, and strode out of the bathroom. I had to walk cautiously, wanting to try and hold off the inevitable for as long as possible.

I could see Edward now, pacing in front of the fireplace.

He was clothed in a brilliant black tuxedo with a matching tie. My breath caught in my throat as he turned to me, his eyes catching mine. I realized how absolutely flawless his features were; the blackness of his coat setting of a magnificent comparison against his pale skin. His bronze hair was sticking up in random sections as if he had been running his fingers through his hair all evening.

His emerald eyes, gleaming in the light given off by the kitchen were taking in my appearance. They held an unobtainable emotion so strong that it caused my cheeks to flush. I looked down, habitually causing me to fret and bite down on my bottom lip. I was momentarily glad I could feel pain or else I may have bitten right to the extent of drawing blood.

"Bella," the softness to his velvety voice made me look up at him in time to witness him take a step closer to me, "You look… stunning. Though that word doesn't even retain a degree of the allure you hold."

I smiled widely, the pervasive blush ignored for the moment.

"Thank you, you look exquisite as well,"

_Extreme understatement._

He chuckled as I frowned at my choice of words. I should have just taken the compliment and left it at that.

He moved towards the door, an air of his gratifying, unique scent wafting towards me, disconcerting my senses. I shut my eyes, figuring this was one of the best smells I would ever have the pleasure of inhaling, and followed him to the door.

He held up my shawl, wrapping it comfortingly around my shoulders and stuck out his arm. I took it, ignoring the way the muscles rippling under the fabric felt against my thin limb and allowed him to lead me to the Packard parked in front of the lawn, sent by his parents.

"By the way," his voice was casual but I hinted another emotion behind his words. Be it remorse?

"While you and your mother were…" he waved his hand towards my dress and I smiled faintly, "I took the opportunity to purchase the covers for your bed while I was in town, I hope you don't mind…" he trailed off subtly, looking over at me.

My heart sank at his words, and then again as I realized his remorse would have only been for the inane possibility that I would have been upset. I was, but for quite the opposite reason than he was most likely inclining towards.

I shook my head, forcing a smile on my face and thanked him quietly.

He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes and then turned away, looking towards the black automobile.

"My parents certainly went out of their way. They hired one for all of their guests whom are arriving. They like their visitors to arrive in a timely fashion, _especially_ to their annual ball. It is a bit presumptuous if you ask me."

We were situated in the vehicle, on our way to the gathering. The Packard was rather large, comfortable to sit four or five people.

"This ball – annual as it is, has it been going on long?" My eyebrows knit together in wonder at his reply. My family had certainly never been invited to a Masen _extraordinaire_ before.

"Annual, yes. Substantial, no. When they host it, this would only be the fourth or fifth one – it is not _that_ annual – it is usually just open to family only. You would be surprised at how the little amount of relatives could fill up a parlor and make you feel as though you had invited the entire town." I laughed at the face Edward made; one of reminiscing of particularly exasperating times.

"Although this year they _did_ invite the entire town, which I am sure will be a remarkable adventure of its own." He finished with an emphasis on the last part and smiled at me. I couldn't help but to laugh again as thoughts of the 'adventures' that would be happening tonight engulfed me.

Our town was quaint, but it was filled with a great amount of characters. Tonight would be interesting, to say the least.

XXXXX

We pulled up in front of the grand house I had visited what seemed like ages ago. People were filing into the abode, some standing around outside in groups, others could be seen inside through the large open windows.

My stomach twisted as I the realization of the entire _town_ being invited hit me. That would mean that there are going to be over two hundred people. I was never one for parties – or large gatherings, and I was _certainly_ not one for dancing.

Edward must have sensed my worry, as I am sure it was pouring off of me like a waterfall.

"Hey," When I didn't look over at him, he turned my face towards him by pulling on my chin. His long fingers were soft against my skin, his eyes gentle.

"Don't worry about all them. Most of them will be huddled around the buffet table all night anyways," I cracked a smile at that, knowing he was right, "I will stay with you all night, if you would like."

I wondered whether or not he realized the double meaning to his words, but I was sure he didn't or he wouldn't have chosen his words so imprudently.

"I can't dance…" I trailed off as if that was all the explanation he needed; and in a sense, it was.

The corner of his lip twitched, then pulled up into one of his crooked grins that made my knees go weak even though I was sitting.

"I know. We have danced before, remember?" he chuckled as if remembering our first dance while I repressed a groan.

"Besides, it is all in the leading."

**Well there's another chapter for ya. I know nothing much happened… I guess it was kind of a filler chapter. Review?**


	13. Chapter 13

**Still don't own Twilight :( **

**A/N: I meant to add this at the end of chapter 12, but of course I forgot d: I tried to create Bella's outfit from the 1920 styles—I know this is about three years before the twenties, but close enough. And the Packard was a car from the early 1900's so I tried to stay in touch with the times, lol. Sorry if I failed miserably. **

_Bella POV_

Edward was right. As soon as we stepped over the entrance, I could see that everyone was congregated around the food tables. A few were scattered across the wooden floor, dancing with their significant others.

My nerves slowly started dwindling away, whether it be the casual act of the guests, or Edward's calming hand on the small of my back guiding me towards the back of the room.

My eyes scanned the room, discerning the people I knew from the ones I didn't until Edward's cool, sweet breath fanned across my cheek.

_Edward POV because it's been so long d:_

"I will be right back. I am going to let my mother know we are here."

Waiting, because I knew it would come, her cheeks were spotted with an appealing pink. A grin broke out across my face at the appearance and I backed away, fighting with the emotions coursing through my body.

For the past few days, it seemed that no matter what Bella did—she simply looked at me, or her hand brushed mine by accident—my heart would leap out of my chest, figuratively of course.

It was as if I was intoxicated by her very presence.

Her omnipresent blush definitely played a part in that as well.

I could only fathom the color that would adorn her beautiful face had I told her the things she said last night in her sleep… including my name. _Twice_. My heart had swelled, almost painfully as my name left her lips in her subconscious state. It was as though my body had woken myself up just for that opportune moment.

My body lost contact with hers momentarily as I turned to walk away when she grabbed onto my hand. I looked back at her, confusion evidence in my stance. It quickly faded though when I saw the desperation in her eyes. I could feel the tug at the corner of my lips trying to hide a smirk.

"I… could I come with you? I don't really want to be left here..." she trailed off, looking to the right of her where a gathering of slightly older, _inebriated_ men stood watching our exchange.

My stomach clenched as thoughts of what could possibly happen if I left her flooded through my mind. I gritted my teeth together when one of them—looking to be around twenty—gave Bella a very… lustful glance.

My being was fleetingly taken over with a strong need to protect Bella, followed by a wave of possessiveness. I was surprised by the possessive feeling that had taken up most of the room for protection. It was as though I wanted to show these…_men_ that Bella was _mine_. _My _wife, and that they would never get anywhere near her.

My reaction took me off guard, but it was as if though my body was ahead of my mind in response.

My fingers interlaced with hers and I pulled her along behind me.

My senses became hyper-aware of the feel of her smooth skin against my own as we weaved through the crowd. It was as soft as the skin around her waist. Which I only knew from when I would wake up in the middle of the night, my arm wound around her waist in a way that made me smile.

It did now, too. I had always loved going to bed for the simple fact that you get to sleep, but nowadays it has a completely different meaning to me.

"Edward! Isabella!" I looked towards the sound of my mother's voice and realized that during my thoughts, I had turned us off course.

She was standing behind us, carrying _two_ wine glasses in her hands.

"Mom," my voice had a disciplinary tone to it as I took one of the glasses from her.

"Oh, Edward. Calm down. This one is for your father." She smiled, looking towards my father who was coming up next to her, furtively shaking his head. Bella giggled at the display and my lip twitched in humor.

"Okay mom, just… go easy, alright?" she sighed, tapping my cheek with her palm and pursed her lips.

"You kids keep me so youthful. And Isabella! You look so lovely!" Bella blushed, as expected and thanked her quietly.

"It's Bella, mom." She looked up at me, confusion in her eyes that turned to realization. A knowing smirk came across her face and she raised an eyebrow to me. I closed my eyes to keep from rolling them, also to keep from seeing my mother's perceptive glance. If I didn't watch myself tonight, things would be spilled. In front of Bella, nonetheless knowing my mother.

My mother looked back to Bella, continuing her examination of her outfit; though I was sure she had something to do with the planning. Something inside of me wanted to object at her earlier words. Bella was more than just _lovely_. She was exquisite, beautiful, stunning… even those simple words seemed as though they didn't hold enough splendor to properly describe Bella.

Maybe breathtaking was the better choice since she did, quiet literally take my breath away.

I bit my lip, not wanting to make a fool of myself and vowed I would let Bella know how I felt later on in the night.

_How do I feel?_

That simple, yet astonishingly intricate question had been swimming through my mind for some days now. I knew for fact that my feelings were not platonic. They held something more. Something diverse; like love. I wasn't sure though what love felt like for I had never felt it. Was I just feeling the product of living with a woman whom I respected, or was it love; something I had once believed only existed in fairy tales?

I wasn't sure, but as the night moved on there was no doubt in my mind I would get the answers I thrived for.

_Bella POV_

I couldn't help but to smile as Edward towed me off, away from his parents. It was as though he was trying to get as far away as possible from them as he brought me over to a corner of the room, beside a grand piano.

My eyes flashed as I looked down at the brilliant ivory keys. I had always loved the sound of the piano but never learned how to play. My fingers grazed over the top and I looked up at Edward.

"Is this…" my eyes widened with the possibility.

"Mine? Yes," his answer was nonchalant and swift as he looked to where my fingers were.

"You can play the piano?" my whisper came out harsh with shock and I could already see the corner of Edward's mouth pulling up.

"Yes. Is that such a surprise?" he chuckled, whispering back. His face closed into mine, keeping the conversation between us. His warm breath tickled my lips and I automatically looked at his full ones. My mind automatically went to a wondering state; what his lips tasted like, would they be soft? They looked soft….

"N-no… I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come off like that, I just… I like pianos…" I trailed off, shutting my eyes in irritation at my lack of ability to form coherent sentences as my mind reeled for a response so he wouldn't read too much into my lack of answer.

Edward though seemed to find it amusing.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked abruptly, holding out his hand.

His question startled me as he had changed the subject so fast and I looked down at his palm apprehensively. He should know by now that dancing and I are not good friends.

"I told you before. It is all in the leading." His eyes were gleaming pools of emerald as he leaned down, whispering to me compellingly. After a few moments of losing myself in his eyes I took his hand, mesmerized.

He led me to the dance floor, in a secluded spot where there were but a few people dancing. I wasn't sure whether or not that was a good thing.

He pulled me close against him, then wound his hand in my, his other around my waist. _This_, I thought to myself, _is the one part I am actually good at_. My free arm came up to twist around his neck.

He smiled down at me as he moved, bringing me with him. His teeth were a dazzling white in contrast with the black suit he wore.

"See? It's not so bad," he commented quietly, the velvety softness of his voice lulling me off in a trancelike state.

We swayed in time with the music, which was a soft duet of piano and violins playing off in the front of the room. My eyes flickered from the group up to Edward and was stunned to find him staring back at me.

His eyes again were a shimmering chasm of green, pieces of his disheveled bronze hair falling into them. It was funny as to how comfortable I felt with Edward, though I had only known him for merely a month.

He moved his hands so they were both around my waist, pulling me closer against him and I brought my other around his neck as well. The one good thing about high heels was that I didn't have to stand on my tiptoes to reach.

Sighing, I rested my head against his chest and closed my eyes.

I thought it would be weird, awkward even to be so close to Edward like this but it surprised me how natural it felt. It was as if we had known each other for years, not a couple of months and as Edward dropped his face down to bury in my hair a smile etched its way onto my face.

The music slowed and came to a stop, but we stayed in our embrace as people moved around us. Another string of soft music started up but I realized that it wouldn't matter if it hadn't. I would not have made a move to unravel myself, and the grip Edward had on me, the feel of his warm breath against my neck sending repressed shivers down my spine told me that he wasn't about to make a move either.

He turned his head slightly, his aristocratic nose skimming across my cheekbone, down to my jaw line. It dawned on me that all I would have to do was make a minor turn of my head and my lips would connect with his. The feeling to do so tore me apart, sending my senses into a flurry as my brain fought with my heart.

That was when it hit me, like a ton of bricks. Halting the fight going on within me.

_I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with Edward Masen._

XXXXX

As the night winded down, a wave of fatigue was cast over the guests, and they started piling out one by one.

I could feel Edward's gaze on me as we sat on the bench outside underneath a large oak tree. My head rested on the palm of my hand as I looked up at the dark sky. Tiny dots of light were illuminated amongst the moon: stars. I had counted up to star number sixty-two when Edward came strolling out after saying goodbye to some of the neighbors he hadn't seen in a month or so.

After a few more seconds, the silence became slightly awkward; Edward's eyes still on me.

I was about to turn to him, say something—anything to make the situation more comfortable since I was already uncomfortable with my new startling realization when his voice broke my intentions.

"Can I ask you something?" I looked at him, surprised at the soft intensity of his voice. His eyes were drilling into mine and I felt myself falling into them. I nodded, not trusting my own voice.

"What do you dream about?" I cocked an eyebrow at him, surprised at the vagueness of his question.

"What do you…" I trailed off, my eyes widening. I had always been aware that my dreams were extremely realistic, and that sometimes I pulled them into reality by sleep talking. I could only imagine the things he heard me say.

Recently I had been dreaming about Edward. I could only imagine the things I said in my sleep about _him_! That he heard! I groaned, my face falling into my hands and my hair falling around me like a shield.

I heard the bench creak and it tilted down more as Edward slid closer to me.

"Bella, don't hide your face," he scolded me softly, intensely—making my heart swell with compassion. He moved the hair away from my face, tucking it behind my ear and leaned closer to me—another perfect opportunity I knew I wasn't going to take.

I looked up at him, thankful for the darkness of the night as a blush came up my face. Nevertheless I was sure he could feel the heat radiating off of me a mile away.

His face was illuminated by the bright moonlight; his pale skin seemingly glowing. His green orbs bore into mine, each one having a flicker of unknown emotions.

"This wouldn't happen to have anything to do with me sleep talking, would it?" The corner of his mouth pulled up into that dazzling crooked grin, telling me the answer.

His face turned serious again and he leaned closer to me, so close I could taste his sweet breath on my lips. My mouth parted involuntarily, his breath mingling with mine sending my senses into a flurry. It bewildered me so as to how this man could affect me so much without even physically doing anything to me. Physically, because emotionally was a whole other story.

I cleared my throat, backing away from him slowly. I knew that to keep the truth blatant and borderline shameless I was going to need all the concentration I could muster up. Being in such close proximity to Edward was going to give me the exact opposite effect I was going for.

"What did I say?" I asked cautiously, hoping it wasn't anything too brazen.

"First tell me what you were dreaming about last night." I pursed my lips at his stubbornness, knowing that I couldn't just tell him I dreamt about him. Especially if I hadn't said anything about it in my sleep.

"That depends…" I trailed off, looking across the lawn at the departing guests.

"Depends on what?" he asked quietly, his voice taking on a husky tone. My eyes involuntarily glanced over at him and I nearly lost my breath. He had leaned in towards me once again; his lips close to my skin. His breath swirled through the air and I could taste him on my tongue, in my mouth; the sweet honey and lilac mixture. It was quite ironic that he smelled of honey, because his voice was most definitely dripping it.

My mind was swarming with impure thoughts, making me dizzy.

"Depends on which dream you mean…" my eyes were heavy with longing, though I kept them open. My heart heavy with the desire that coursed through my body. I realized with astonishment that I, Isabella Marie Swan Masen was aroused.

Edward must have noticed as well, which normally would have been humiliating but it wasn't given the circumstances, and the fact that my body was practically trembling with need.

His eyes visibly darkened, which given the lack of light was a pretty eccentric observation on my part.

His head moved down towards mine, his nose skimming across my jaw line once again, sending exuberant tingles throughout my body. My heart was beating out of my chest, causing me to wonder whether or not Edward could hear it from his closeness.

I could hear his breathing speeding up as his nose continued its descent, then up to my cheekbone, impending into a ragged pattern of inhaling and exhaling, matching mine.

His lips came closer to mine and I licked mine in anticipation, just waiting when something so atrocious happened, I was sure it was God smiting me. Probably for that fish I had accidently killed in my youth.

"Mr. and Mrs. Isabella and Edward Masen?" my eyes closed against the sound, hoping that the voice of the driver would not deter this moment, but of course it had to.

Edward's smooth nose had paused against my skin first, giving me slight hope that we could ignore the man and would continue but he didn't. His forehead fell against my temple, defeated.

Almost as soon as he had stopped, he pulled away looking towards the man whom had called out our names. Sighing, he moved away from me. Leaning forward, he rubbed his face and I looked down at my lap, wondering if we were going to stay this way forever.

He stood and I followed suit, trailing along behind him as we made our way to the black car, away from our destiny.

**Hey kids! I'm seriously sorry I haven't updated in so long but I have had soooo much work for school **_**and**_** I don't have a study this term :[ I know you might think that's not an excuse, but it is. I'm sorry, but it is. School comes before Fanfiction… that's just the sad truth of my life. **

**BUT!!! To make up for it, the next chapter will have a lemon. Which pretty much tells you another part of the ending of this chapter, but that's okay. You all deserve it for sticking with me, lol. I'm also just warning those who don't like reading lemons—but in my defense, this story is rated M… so yeah.**

**P.S. that unconditionally and irrevocably in love with blah, blah, blah quote was from Twilight… so yeah, lol. **


	14. Just an Author's Note

**Just an Author's Note…**

Hey, guys. I feel that I owe you all an explanation and (huge!) apology for not updating in so long.

Pretty much what happened was that my grandfather whom I am really close to got very ill, and then passed away three weeks ago. Because of this, I haven't had much time (or motivation) to write another chapter. I am really sorry to those who have waited a while, and hope that you will hang in there. I had written the chapter and was going to post it yesterday, but I was not happy with how it came out.

So, instead of posting a shoddy chapter, I am going to re-write it and hopefully have it submitted within the next few days.

I am really sorry, again, guys. Please bear with me!!

Again, sorry this is not an actual chapter, but I really hope you have read this note. :)

**~ Kay **


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